Screenwriting: Understanding Script Length

A script length is an organized way to estimate the length of
your film. A common rule in script writing in the film industry
emphasizes that a properly formatted, page of a script equals one minute
of film time. With this rule and several applied tips in the following
steps, you will be able to understand the script length for your film.

Step 1 - Write Out All Your Ideas

The initial and ideal first step to approach your script is to write
as much as possible for your story. Most writers have a tendency to only
write down the ideas that could be a potential success for their
script. Never leave out any ideas initially at this phase of the writing
process. No idea is a bad idea in this step. This phase allows you to
be as creative and flexible as you want to be. Once you have all your
ideas written down in a coherent order, it is now time to organize your
points for your script.

Step 2 - Organize Your Ideas into Section

Once you have figured out all of your ideas for your script, the next
step is dividing your story into three sections. These three sections
comprise of the beginning, middle, and end of your story. Each section
usually follows the order of the structure of the step-up, the
confrontation, and the resolution. With these three individual parts of
your film, you are now able to organize your story evenly through each
phase making sure each section has enough time to properly develop the
plot point within each segment. With this step utilized, you have now
created a rough treatment for your script. After your treatment is
created you are now able to narrow down your story for the finalized
script length towards you film.

Step 3 - Narrow Down Your Story

Once you have established your ideas and points in the proper order
of the story, it is now time to narrow down your script to the main
point and structure towards your film. In another case, you may also be
in a predicament in which your script length is too long for your
allotted film run time. In either case, it is now time to narrow down
your treatment script to the bare essentials of the story, just enough
to allow the viewers to follow the narrative structure and scenes
smoothly throughout the film. Keep in mind to keep your story ideas as
tight as possible making sure all the plot lines tie in with each scene
properly in order to avoid plot holes. It is also extremely crucial to
avoid making a long script that does not dynamically gain momentum
throughout the film. If you create a script that drags the story, your
audience will become bored with your film and disconnect with the film.
Create a script that uses its time wisely, utilizing each phase to
creatively and appropriately showcase your story. With these steps, you
are now able to understand and write a proper script length.